


In which Richie is the Older Brother

by orphan_account



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Bottom Seth, Crack, Episode: s01 e06, Fluff, M/M, Place of Dead Roads, Pre-Slash, Top Richie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 12:13:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1510058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Scott and Seth bond and Richie fluctuates between protective and negligent. Richie/Seth pre-slash. Swearing and creepy Narciso.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Richie is the Older Brother

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own anything. This is kinda cracky, bear with me. Episode 6 bar AU.

 

                Scott spots Seth stumbling in from outside the bar before anyone else. Kate and Richie are god knows where and Jacob is still wallowing at the table Seth left them at. And Scott, well, he isn't exactly trying to make friends but he sidles up to Seth anyway with a 'what the hell happened to you?'

                "What does it look like, kid?"

                "Looks like you got beat to hell."

                "Yeah." Seth says, cocking his head in near disbelief. Seth is so _cool_ sometimes Scott has to remember he is a dangerous criminal and not someone he should be emulating.

                "Yeah some super creepoid tried to get my dad to sell me to him earlier. Had to tell him to back off. So if you need someone to watch your back..." And maybe Scott is a little prone to exaggeration but Seth looks startled none the less.

                "You're kidding, right?" When Scott just shakes his head Seth asks who the culprit was. Scott shrugs, plays it cool.

                "It's no biggie."

                "Yeah it kinda is. Look we need to get you back to your dad. And no more talking to strangers," Seth's brows furrow and he gesticulates vaguely about the room, "and no more walking around by yourself."

                "Kate does it. "

                "What? Holy fuck, you kids-" Seth makes an angry huff of an exhale and maybe Scott's 'too cool' attitude slips a little.

                "Well she was following Richie-"

                "Richie? Where is he?" Seth goes a little too serious for Scott's liking. "Ah, fuck. Nevermind. He was supposed to be watching my back. Fucking every _time_."

                Seth shakes his head in frustration and disappointment and Scott can relate. He stumbles then, a little and Scott has to steady him to keep him from tumbling over. He helps Seth prop himself against the wall.

                "Are you okay?"

                "I almost got my arms ripped off and he's probably chatting up some stripper."

                "Or Kate." At Seth's withering look he amends, "I mean, if anything she's probably chatting up him. She's not the angel she appears to be."

                This just seems to make Seth look more worried, which in turn makes Scott worried. But then Seth seems to catch sight of Kate in the corner of his eye and he sighs warily.

                "She's over there."

                "Yeah." Scott says, turns to look, but doesn't make a move towards her. It's clear Scott doesn't really want to go back to the table either.

                "Siblings, huh?" Seth says, a little amusedly.

                "Tell me about it. Kate's so stubborn and mom and dad always think-" Scott catches himself, Seth smiles a little sadly "-thought - she could do no wrong. But she always finds a way to undermine me - or, I don't know. You know?"

                Seth actually laughs at that. It's probably a holy-crap-it's-good-to-be-alive hysterical type laugh rather than a that's-so-funny laugh but Scott smiles back anyway.

                "These chicks are hot, right?" Scott continues as Seth wipes a tear of mirth from the corner of his left eye.

                "Ah, older siblings." Seth mutters. Scott doesn't quite believe his ears.

                "Wait - Richie is your _older_ brother?" Seth looks a little put out.

                "Yeah, everyone makes that mistake. Prison ages a man."

                "No, no - it's not that. It's just well - I don't know. You always seem to be the one in control."

                "Are you kidding me? I mean I try 'cause like hell if Richie is responsible but he always manages to turn things on their head anyway."

                "That- is surprising. It actually kind of makes sense." Scott offers. "But aren't older siblings supposed to be - I don't know - protective or something?"

                "Yeah." Seth says a little wistfully, "He used to be anyway. When we were kids. Then he just didn't care anymore."

                "You seem to take care of him more than he takes care of you." Seth sighs.

                "I hate being the responsible one."

                "I hear ya."

                "Richie, _fucking_ Richie. Question him once and he never lets you forget it." Then Seth does a mimicry of Richie, high-pitched and nasal "oh, now you wanna know. Forget about it Seth, you already had your chance." and they end up laughing together, Scott falling into place on the wall beside him.

                "Kate always acts like she's right." Scott contributes, "Doesn't matter what the situation is - found out she was cheating in English once _after_ she told dad I copied a few math questions from a friend a week earlier. And I totally didn't! I don't even have friends to cheat _from_. Worse yet, I didn't even tell on her. She guilt-tripped me and I gave."

                "Richie does that too, drives me up the wall. And another thing, his _horchatas_! I don't know why I keep getting them for him. Even when I'm trying to punish him it's like he's got me trained. I can't not do what he wants."

                "Oh" Scott says, cause he totally can't relate. Not at all. "What does Chulo mean anyway?"

                "Didn't you take Spanish in school? That's one more thing. Who wants to be called 'pretty boy' in a fucking strip club. I mean - places like this make their buck on making you feel like a red blooded man not like some priss."

                "Totally. It's doubly hard, being Asian and all, like some people just _assume_ things. As if all Asian men are delicate flowers or some crap like that."

                Here Seth grabs Scott's arm and points right at his face with his index finger, "Hey, you may be small but you can still kick a man's ass."

                Scott nods at him in acknowledgement and agreement. Seth nods back. Scott feels so incredibly cool right then.

                "Had to teach that lesson to a guy earlier too." Seth states, and then shivers like he's touched something unpleasant.

                "The guy who beat you up?" Scott asks, a little dumbfounded, and a little worried.

                "Naw. The guy who saved me. I mean- you know, that part was good, the saving my arms from being ripped off part because _Richie_ wouldn't come to keep a lookout - but the after, not so much."       

                "Oh. But you're okay and he didn't-"

                Seth waves the remark off. "I punched him in the face. Narciso something or other. I woulda bought him a drink but then it was clear he took me for some sort of damsel in distress filled with undying gratitude of the sexual variety."

                They both wrinkle their noses in distaste. Seth sighs.

                "I better go find Richie. You go back to your dad. The guys around here are no joke." Seth pushes off the wall. Scott begins to go toward the table where his dad is but then kind of just ends up following Seth, keeping his distance out of sight. He doesn't really want to intrude but he also doesn't want to face his dad right now either.

                When Seth finds Richie and Kate all cozied up together Seth can't say he isn't disappointed or that he hasn't on some level, at least, expected it.

                "Preacher's daughter strikes again." He begins and Richie all but ignores him, following after Kate. Strike that, _does_ ignore him, pushes past without a word. It isn't the first time Seth wishes he were a pretty girl (like Kate), or a pretty boy (like Scott), so that Richie would just pay attention to him for half a second. He follows spouting whatever he can think, trying to _make_ Richie acknowledge him. And then he says,

                "I'll get you a V.I.P. card and a couple of girls just shy of their quinceanera."

                And _then_ Richie has a knife against Seth's throat and it isn't the first time Richie's threatened him (the first time like _this_ though) and he most likely doesn't mean it but Seth still leans as far away as he can manage. It makes Seth bristle that Richie doesn't even _notice_ he's hurt. And if he's honest he's a little hurt because Richie obviously doesn't care. Seth idly wonders if it's because he's made a joke about fifteen year old girls, and _fuck_ , of course Richie's not a pedophile but Seth isn't the one carving girls up and down the countryside.

                That thought sobers him and Richie can't be well. Richie pushes him down harder, comes closer.

                "You treat me like I'm the ugly step kid in the attic. If I say we stay, we stay and that's it." Seth can feel the knife slide into his skin, easy like butter, but not deeper than a papercut.

                "I've never treated you like you were the ugly step kid." Seth says in response to Richie's accusations. Pushes the knife away from his throat. Then Scott is there, kind of hovering a safe distance away from Richie. Somehow, Scott thinks, Seth still seems to be the one in control - the calm to Richie's impulse.

                "Hey, he's kind of roughed up. Maybe you shouldn't push him so hard." Richie glares at Scott who fidgets uncomfortably. But then he looks at Seth, sees the dark blood on his temple, the deep cut on his arm and his tattered shirt.

                "What happened to you." Richie all but demands.

                "Nothin-" Seth begins but Scott cuts him off.

                "Some guy in the parking lot." Richie grabs Seth's shirt, and hauls him forward just to push him harder against the table.

                "That's pathetic, bro. One guy did all this? What was he eight-foot tall? Don't know how you survived in prison-" Richie starts to snark and Seth glares at him and Scott in turn.

                "It was a _bunch_ of guys. Excuse me for not being able to fight off twelve men."

                Richie looks like he's about to dismiss the whole story, he's already looking around for Kate and Seth feels exasperation. Can't even get a second of Richie's attention when he's almost died not thirty minutes ago. Scott looks confused, Richie's already crowding out of Seth's space and moving away when Scott begins to speak, loudly.

                "But you said one guy saved you. Against twelve?"

                " _Keep your voice down_." And Seth is kicking himself because it is probably his whispered response that has Richie moving back towards them.

                "What?" Richie looks to Scott, "explain."

                "U-uh. Seth said some pervert guy saved him."

                "Pervert guy?" Richie repeats, voice hard.

                "Ha ha." Seth breaks into the conversation, sarcastically. His throat stings a little where Richie carelessly held the blade too fast. "and there's enough of that."

                "What did this guy do? What did he save you from?" Richie is looking at Seth now and Seth lifts his chin defiantly. He throws Richie's words back in his face.

                "Like you care. Forget it Richie, you've already had your chance." And then Seth turns and walks away. Except that Richie grabs him about the wrist and pulls him back, something like an undignified squawk leaving his throat. Scott thinks that Seth is going to yank away and try again so he's surprised when Seth's cheeks heat and he doesn't try to extract his wrist from Richie's grasp.

                "Well, Seth?" Richie says, dangerously.

                "Yes, alright. Fine. Some guys jumped me outside and I told you I needed you to watch my back. But _no_ \- they had me chained to -"

                "They had you chained." Richie repeats, something dangerous in his voice and Scott slowly backs away, in the direction his sister is going, hands placatingly up.

                "They were going to rip my arms off with motorcycles and machetes." Seth and Richie stare at each other for a moment. Then Richie pulls Seth into a hug. Seth struggles, pushing Richie away but Richie holds fast.

                "Come on Richie, stop it. You held a _knife_ to my throat and -"

                "The man who saved you?"

                "What does it matter. It was just some guy." Seth answers stubbornly and Richie turns to Scott for answers only to find he's not there.

                " _Seth_." he growls.

                "Go fuck yourself Richie." Seth throws Richie's embrace off, faking disgust. He tries to angrily storm away but Richie grabs him again and is pushing, manhandling, him back towards the room.

                When they get there Seth spins to face him, lips pressed tight in anger.

                "Don't pretend to care Richie. You wanna know so bad? Fine, it was some guy named Narciso."

                Seth makes to leave but Richie solidly puts his hand on Seth's chest and pushes him further in.

                "Oh, fine. You want all the dirty little details too. Well I'm telling you there aren't many. He asked me to suck his dick o-or spread for him. Then I punched him. Bam, over. There, happy?"

                "No I'm not happy." Richie is looking at Seth with concern and despite himself Seth feels a little bit of warmth seep in. Richie hardly ever looks at him like that anymore.

               "It doesn't matter anyway. I can take care of myself. Kate and Scott on the other hand - should probably stick close. So let's go."

                Seth gestures toward the door, hand snapping out angrily and Richie just sighs, reaching out to grab it. Seth snatches it away.

                "You hid the money, I assume. We should just let them go." Richie doesn't look like he quite likes the idea and Seth gets angrier when he thinks of why.

                "Why? 'cause Kate said so? I would let them go if we didn't _need_ them."

                "Need them? _We_ don't need them. You do. I'm not sure why you're suddenly attached to this, quite frankly, disturbed family."

                "Like _we're_ the normal ones." Seth snaps to defend them without thinking and Richie smiles his 'see what I just said smile' and Seth wants to smack it off his face.

                "Kate's nice, she's lost like me. I want her to stay, but not if she doesn't want to."

                "Are you even listening to yourself? Y-you know how she'll probably end up if she stays."

                Richie's face changes at that and Seth nearly feels a beat of regret. Then Richie pushes him against the wall, hard. Gets right up in Seth's space.

                "Listen to me. Those women were going to kill us Seth. I have a gift. You don't have to believe me, but you have to _respect_ me. You question me one more time and...when I find _her_ you'll see."

                Richie's hot minty breath is washing over his face and Seth stares angrily back.

                "Right. _Her_. Your goddess or what the fuck ever. Same old story -you'll do anything for some tail huh?"

                Seth knows its vulgar and rude in a way he isn't usually, not at Richie, and feels a small chill of fear go down his spine when Richie laughs unkindly.

                "You are _so_ annoying. You always did follow me around ever since we were kids, you know? Wouldn't be so bad if you weren't such a bossy little bitch. No wonder Dad smacked you around all the time."

                Seth vaguely thinks that Richie sure knows how to hurt him. It must show in his face because Richie pauses, lets himself be pushed off.

                "Fuck. You." Seth says and goes to leave but one of his legs crumple beneath him. He didn't even know he was injured there, and then he is on the floor. He shrugs off Richie's hand on his shoulder.

                "I'm sorry, okay?"

                "Whatever alright, I can see when I'm not wanted." He says it glibly, jokingly. Seth doesn't want to admit Richie hurt his feelings because hurt feelings is the stupidest, most unnecessary thing on his plate right now. He pushes himself up and bristles at the way Richie's hands hover around him, to catch him if he falls.

                "Seth-" Seth sighs, rolls his eyes and decides to put an end to this.

                "Things were always better before I turned up. I know. You and Dad coulda been father and son of the year. Look Richie, I'm sorry I ruined that for you. Sorry you took my side all the time. And I- I don't know if you regret it but I appreciate it and I always will. If your resentment slips out sometimes I don't mind. I don't exactly enjoy it but I understand. It was my fault too, always inciting him. I took Dad away - whether I meant to or not. I'm not gonna hold a little anger against you, okay?"    

                Seth finishes, smiles at Richie to show it really is okay, and begins to move out. Richie reaches out to touch his arm and ends up just hovering again. Seth stops anyway.

                "What Richie?"

                "You didn't incite him. And I'm not angry. Not with you."

                Seth shifts a bit uncomfortably on his feet. Richie is completely focused on him and it makes him glow but it also makes him uncomfortable because he knows it shouldn't and it's weird. Richie's words, at least, are a relief but Seth doesn't entirely believe them.

                "Thanks Richie." He says tightly.

                "Seth. Look, I'm an asshole alright?" Seth schools himself to relax, make his smile more warm. "Are we okay Seth?"

                "We're fine."

                "I can tell when you're faking you know." Seth's cheeks heat slowly, embarrassed, and Richie clears his throat, looks hesitant, continues. "I'm like Dad. When I hurt you, I like it. Same sadistic streak, maybe that's why I got along with him so well. I don't...I try not to get too close. I push you away because deep down, I am just like him."

                It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to Seth.

                "You are nothing like him Richie." But even then Seth thinks of the girls and with a shudder realizes that isn't quite true.

                "Don't. I'm worse than he ever was."

                "Well not to me." Richie has to hold his tongue. Seth continues, "Should we go chaperone some preacher's kids or what?"

                Richie clears his throat.

                "Yeah, maybe." But then Richie remembers Seth's hurt and puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Let me look you over first."

                Seth just gives a chortled laugh and moves outside the room again. Richie blows a heavy breath out. It's good, he reminds himself but doesn't feel it, he shouldn't touch him. In fact, he's touched Seth way too much lately. Even as Richie is aware he should keep on 'keepin' on', distancing himself from Seth he knows tonight, at the very least, he'll have to keep a close eye on him and it makes him glow.


End file.
